The FA's decision to release John Sheridan's vile verbal attack on a referee and his assistant has been welcomed with calls for the Oldham Athletic manager to be banned for life.

Sheridan's threatening rant during his former club Notts County's loss to Wycombe last month was exposed in a document made public by the FA on Friday.

It revealed that Sheridan, sacked by Notts County on January 2 after nine straight defeats but back in work as boss of League One Oldham 10 days later, told referee Eddie Ilderton: 'My kids aren't going to get any f****** Christmas presents because of you.'

John Sheridan was sent off during Notts County's 2-0 defeat by Wycombe last month

He told a referee, 'My kids aren't going to get any f****** Christmas presents because of you'

He also told fourth official Matthew Donohue: 'You really are a c***. I'm gonna knock you out, you c***.'

Sheridan was banned for five games, serving four at County and the fifth at his new club. But Lord Ouseley, chairman of anti-discrimination campaigners Kick It Out, says his threats of physical abuse in the League Two match should see him banished for good.

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He said: 'A five-match ban is nothing — if you threaten to knock out an official you should be banned from the game permanently. The lower leagues can play five games in less than three weeks.'

'The FA have got to set a real example, one that goes all the way up to the Premier League and down to grassroots, and say if you step out of line to that extent you're no longer part of the game.'

Sheridan swore 11 times at match officials according to a document released on Friday

Sheridan's tirade came to light in referee Ilderton's report. In it, he noted that: 'In the 55th minute, fourth official Matthew Donohue informed me that Notts County manager John Sheridan should be removed from the technical area for his behaviour.

'I then asked Mr Sheridan to leave the technical area and take a place in the stands. Mr Sheridan then said to me, "You're a f****** disgrace, you're f****** useless, you've not f****** got anything right today, you should be f****** ashamed, you're f****** s***, my kids aren't going to get any f****** Christmas presents because of f****** you".'

Fourth official Donohue recounted: 'In the 56th minute … Sheridan … left the technical area to complain to assistant referee Anthony Moore. I approached to tell them they needed to remain in their technical area.

Sheridan received a five-match ban for the incident and has since taken charge of Oldham

Mr Sheridan then shouted directly into my face, "You're a f****** c***". I then called across referee Eddie Ilderton, who dismissed Mr Sheridan from the technical area.

Kick It Out have found extensive evidence of similar abusive threats, and Lord Ouseley is concerned that the FA have neglected their Respect campaign.

He added: 'It's very important this was exposed by the FA to show it's still going on. Referees are vulnerable and need to be protected.'

ROT SETS IN AT THE TOP

After reading the sheer level and amount of abuse which John Sheridan inflicted upon both the referee and fourth official, I am left saddened by the state to which we have allowed the game to descend.

Week in, week out we see Premier League players abusing officials — which is clear in TV pictures — and yet they are not sent off.

The laws of the game are very clear in stating that if a player uses offensive, insulting or abusive language or actions, he must be sent from the field of play — and yet in the Premier League just one player (Alan Smith, for Newcastle against Manchester United in 2008) has been dismissed for these offences in the last 10 years!

It is little wonder that Sheridan feels he is able behave like this. Players on local parks feel they can do too.

I received my fair share. After one game a non-League manager said he hoped I had a car crash and was killed on my way home. During a Premier League match in 2005, Wayne Rooney told me to 'f*** off' 27 times in the first half. I did not dismiss Rooney because then, referees were told we should manage those situations rather than dismiss Premier League players for swearing.

This incident reflects badly on the whole game and it saddens me deeply. Why has it reached this level? Because there is a lack of action at the top.